Several approaches have been proposed to reduce drag caused by turbulence and boundary layer flow around an object moving relative to a fluid. Drag can be reduced by appropriately shaping the object to minimize the formation of vortices, for example, by installing the so-called riblets. Drag may also be reduced by actively controlling vortex formation in the boundary layer by applying electromagnetic fields, by heating the surface, by generating micro-bubbles, by suctioning off the inner boundary layer and/or by injecting a high-velocity flow into the boundary layer. Some of the active control measures require the fluid to be electrically conducting, such as an electrolyte, sea water and an ionized gas, whereas other active control measures require complex control mechanisms and/or may use more energy in operation than is being saved through the drag reduction.
It would therefore be desirable to provide a more energy-efficient method for reducing the drag on an object moving through a fluid, and an apparatus using the method.